This invention relates to a method for operating complex machines and moving vehicles using a high level of vehicle automation and operator controls and displays to achieve a substantial reduction in operator required skill level and training.
Complex machines and moving vehicles (for example airplanes or helicopters) are either automatically controlled by programmed computers or require highly skilled well-trained operators to operate safely. Remotely operated machines or vehicles also require different skill for operation than do locally operated machines or vehicles, therefore requiring different lengthy training and in most cases a different set of skills.
The addition of an automatic mode of control to manually controlled machines or vehicles, in the past 50 years, did not revolutionize the man-machine interface in such a way that operating such machines or vehicles in operator guided mode is dramatically simpler. For example, while the operation of an airplane or a helicopter can be fully automatic when the pilot engages the autopilot, the pilot skill level and training required for safe operation of such airplane or helicopter are not significantly reduced as compared to what they were in the 1950s or 1960s even though most advanced aircraft use automatic stabilization and other lower levels of automatic controls when they are manually controlled or guided by the operator.
The complex machines and complex moving vehicles are designed to have a man-machine interface (controls and displays) which is largely specific to the machine or vehicle, therefore requiring lengthy training and operator testing and screening specific to the qualification for the operation of the particular machine or vehicle. For example, even after thousands of hours of piloting a particular jet transport, for example a Boeing 737, the pilot cannot qualify for piloting a very similar Airbus 320 without lengthy training, mainly because the controls and displays of the two aircraft are different.
The high skill levels and lengthy training required to operate complex machines and aircraft have severe negative effects of reducing the safety levels, increasing the cost of operation and limiting the market for such machines and vehicles.
The current market for airline pilots is such that the military is not successful in recruiting candidates with adequate skill level, and then training and screening them as military pilots at the rate they leave military service to join airline service. A relaxation of the required skill level and of training period should relieve such pilot shortage situation.
Remotely operated vehicles or Unmanned Vehicles (UVs) found ever increasing use mostly by the military over the period 1950-2000 and are expected to find substantial commercial uses. These vehicles include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). The market for UAVs alone has reached the two billion dollars per year level. Like manned vehicles, these UVs are either completely automated or autonomous (like cruise missiles) or they offer a mode of remote operator control. When completely automated or autonomous, the UVs offer no operational versatility once they are programmed and launched. When a mode of remote operator control is offered, the mission of the UV may be altered by the operator as the mission progresses to better suit the developing needs as new knowledge is gained from the vehicle operation or from other sources or as the situation outside the vehicle develops.
The complexity of operation or guidance by a remote operator is such that the autonomous vehicles, such as terrain-following cruise missiles, were perfected in a relatively short time, while the acceptance of UVs with remote operation lagged behind mainly because of the skill levels and training required and the resultant unacceptable vehicle losses due to operator errors.
Currently, the serious accident rates of unmanned aircraft with any mode of operator guidance is approximately 3,000 fold higher than that of a transport aircraft in airline service. The fact that this large gap between loss rates exists, although the UAVs are very sophisticated (cost 1-20 million dollars each) and the military users carefully select, train and screen operators, severely limits the use of such UAVs to missions that the risk to a manned aircraft is unacceptable.
The current situation described above applies to the operation of all machinery and vehicles which usually require quick operator reactions in response to dynamic situations in order to achieve both operating safety and operating efficiency (machine or vehicle productivity). The high operator skill level, lengthy training and high demand for operator currency (recent operation of the same machine or vehicle) are required to establish the xe2x80x9cproficiencyxe2x80x9d of almost flawless quick operator reaction in a complex man-machine interface (controls and displays) unique to the particular machine.
To judge the demands of skill level and proficiency several aspects may be considered such as:
a. The number of manual controls which are critical to safe operation;
b. The operator control/reaction speed required for efficient machine operation;
c. The number of other, non safety critical, controls and the frequency of operator actions needed.
To better understand the above description of the current situation, we can examine the family automobile. We may define only three controls e.g., steering, acceleration, and brake, as safety critical controls. The driver reaction speed required for safe driving is dependent on the car speed, traffic, road (straight/winding, blind turns, etc.) and visibility/weather conditions. Each one of these driving conditions above or a combination of these and other factors (like car qualities) can directly affect the driving safety and the demands on driver skills and proficiency.
Early in the last century of automotive development the industry standardized the above listed three automobile safety critical controls. But, the industry took the liberty of varying all other driver-automobile interfaces ranging from parking brake to adjustment of radio and from display of speed to display of low oil pressure. While these are non safety critical controls and displays, they may significantly affect either safety of a driver looking for the wiper controls when rain starts while driving a rented car or affect the efficiency of operation, e.g. stopping by the side of the road to find the controls for the wiper.
It is important to examine the effects of three technologies which became widespread in the 1980""s and 1990""s: 
a. Automation of operation of machinery and vehicles
b. Computerized displays and controls
c. Use of computer networks to relay manual controls.
The automation of operation of systems or subsystems of machinery and vehicles can substantially reduce the workload of the operator and result in safer operation and/or higher operator response rate. For example, anti-skid brakes and traction control in an automobile can provide for safer operation at more marginal driving conditions and/or with a less skilled or lower proficiency driver. Even the automation of the non safety critical controls can free the operator to better perform the more important controls. For example, rain activated wipers, speed (xe2x80x9ccruisexe2x80x9d) control, automatic air conditioning controls and voice warnings can help the driver concentrate on the road conditions instead of scanning the displays or operating the manual controls.
The widespread use of computers makes the public more proficient with computer type displays and controls including digital and graphic displays, menu driven displays and controls, and activation of controls displayed on computer screens.
Even when the modern machine or vehicle controls are not automated and the man-machine interface is based on manual control, by the operator, of discrete control functions, in many larger and/or more expensive machines or vehicles, computers and computer networks are used to relay the manual control to the controlled part of the system.
For example, in large jet transport aircraft there are less and less direct mechanical, hydraulic or electric control linkages between the pilot and the controlled aircraft subsystems (aerodynamic control surfaces, landing gear, engine, fuel transfer system, etc.) Instead, a network of computers relays the pilot messages, either continuous controls or discrete on/off, to the subsystem being controlled. The subsystems are more frequently controlled by separate computers or micro-controllers so that a computer connected to the pilot actions (say central computer or cockpit computer) is networked with the computers of the subsystems. The network can be either through electric conductors (copper wires) or through fiber-optics. The first is called xe2x80x9cfly-by-wirexe2x80x9d in the aviation vernacular and the latter xe2x80x9cfly-by-light.xe2x80x9d
In spite of the widespread use of automation, computer displays and controls and the use of computer networks listed above, the modern complex machines and vehicles substantially demand the same levels of operator skill, training and xe2x80x9ccurrencyxe2x80x9d as those before such innovations were introduced. Furthermore, the introduction of such innovations did not bring any significant standardization of operator interface to complex machines and vehicles to help reduce the level of training required for the operation of the various specific machines.
A detailed study of the operation of complex machines and vehicles renders the following:
a. Very few controls are critical to the safety and productivity of the operation. These controls are continuously modulated by the operator and not a discrete value selection (in an automobile these controls are like steering or brake and not like gear selection of a manual transmission);
b. The critical controls are mostly related to the positioning of the vehicle or of part of the machine (the cutting tool in a metal machining operation, for example);
c. The vast majority of the operation functions are not critical to the safety of operation and are individually simpler control functions than the critical controls and therefore may be easier to completely automate and such automation may have very little effect on the safety and efficiency of operation.
A study of the general population in the more developed countries proves that most people are comfortable and trusting of machines and vehicles especially if the controls are few and very intuitive. Furthermore, most people are very comfortable if non safety-critical control functions are carried automatically without any visibility to the operator (for example, the computer control of all engine systems). Most people are comfortable when safety-critical control functions are automated if they are not controlling the travel path of the vehicle (speed xe2x80x9ccruisexe2x80x9d control, anti-skid, traction control, etc.)
The present invention provides man/machine interface and a method for controlling complex machines and moving vehicles. The man/machine interface and method of the present invention provide for:
a. Intuitive control which is easier for the operator to learn and to maintain a high proficiency level;
b. Lower operator workload which improves safety and machine-operator productivity and efficiency;
c. Substantial commonality and standardization of machine or vehicle operation which reduces the required operator training and provides for qualifications of the operator for widely varying machines and vehicles;
d. Standardization of the effects of the movements of the operator""s hand and foot controls over a wide range of machines or vehicles;
e. Make the operation of machines and vehicles the same whether the operator is in the vehicle, close to the machine or in a remote location out of sight.